D-backs Beleaguered Bullpen Shows Stress in Extra Inning Loss

Heavy workloads are catching up with Diamondbacks relievers

After Friday night's 10-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds Torey Lovullo insisted he had no choice but to go "full throttle" with his bullpen trying to win every game. That approach, while likely necessary in order to try to secure a post season spot, caught up to the Diamondbacks Saturday night in an 8-7 loss in 11 innings. 

Zach Davies pitched a very strong five shutout innings before giving up a solo homer in the 6th to Matt McLain. A walk followed the homer, and Torey Lovullo decided to turn the ball over to the bullpen. Davies gave up five hits, walked two and struck out five. He had the best changeup he's had in a while, generating 10 whiffs with the pitch,. When he left the game he had a 4-1 lead and was in line for win. 

Corbin Carroll tripled to lead off the game on his bobble head night, and later scored on a passed ball. Ketel Marte hit a three run blast in the fifth inning off of Ben Lively, his 21st of the year. The D-backs seemed to have the game well in hand at that point.  Scott McGough finished off the 6th for Davies without any more damage and Kyle Nelson pitched a scoreless 7th. 

Things started to go south for the D-backs in the 8th however. Kevin Ginkel, working for the 5th time in the team's last seven games, gave up a two-out RBI base hit to Nick Martini. Then came the ninth inning and closer Paul Sewald, also working in his 5th game of the last seven. Sewald had been struggling with control of late, walking four and hitting a batter in his previous four outings. He immediately walked the leadoff batter, and one out later gave up an RBI double and a single to put runners on first and third. An RBI ground out brought in the tying run and Sewald had blown his second save as a Diamondback in nine chances. 

The D-backs went down in order in the 9th so on to extra innings they went, where yet another overworked reliever came on to pitch. Miguel Castro, working for the 4th time in six days, and the 61st time this year faced just three batters, who went double, double, single, scoring three runs including the extra inning ghost runner who started the inning on second base. 

Down 7-4 Torey Lovullo went to the pen to get Nabil Crismatt, who had just been called up and was pitching in his first game as a Diamondback. He gave up a double, to put runners on second and third, but got out of the inning without allowing any more runs.  Improbably the D-backs answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the 10th against All Star closer Alexis Diaz.  

With the game tied up at 7-7 Crismatt came back out to pitch the 11th. He got two outs but then gave up an infield single to move the ghost runner to third. At this point disaster struck as Crismatt proceeded to balk in the go ahead and ultimately winning run. 

The D-backs went down quietly in the 11th, as Lovullo decided to give up an out by having Alek Thomas sacrifice bunt the ghost runner to 3rd. Unfortunately Jace Peterson struck out for the 4th time tonight and Jose Herrera struck out to end the game. 

With the bullpen clearly gassed, and another game tomorrow afternoon followed by a three game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, Lovullo's back is against the wall.  Asked how he's going to handle the bullpen workload going forward, he replied with a deep sigh and said "It is what it is, and we need guys to step up and get the job done. Everybody knows their roles."

He acknowledged he's asked a lot of his relievers. The team has been using openers and bullpen games to paper over a thinned out rotation. Lovullo has seemed reluctant to push his starters to get the extra out or two when they begin to tire, preferring to put that workload on the bullpen. 

Yesterday he lifted Brandon Pfaadt after just 86 pitches and Davies  threw only 86  tonight as well. Tomorrow they will start Slade Cecconi, who has thrown just 73 and 76 pitches in his prior two outings.  Zac Gallen has reached the century mark in pitches thrown five times this season and just one time in his last five outings.  At some point Lovullo  will need to allow the starting pitchers to go deeper in games and shoulder more of the workload or risk completely burning out his bullpen. If he hasn't already.